Transmission grease retainer



Patented Oct. 14, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR H. KOELKER, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE WILLYS-OVERLAND COM- PANY., OF TOLEDO, OHIO, A GORPORATION F OHIO.

TRANSMISSION GREASE RETAINER.

' .Application led November 11, 1918. Serial No. 262,030.

'1Y0 devices and more particularly to a form of grease retainin device designed for use up- `on a rotating s aft which passes through a casing, the said devices being adapted to prevent the leakage `of oil from the casings i -16 around the rotating shaft.

One object of my invention is to provide grease retaining devices which will operate effectively to prevent loss of oil from the casin without the use of packing rings,

v2o and t e consequent increase in frictional resistance against the rotation von the shaft.

A further objectof my invention is to provide devices of this character which will o erate to return to the casings any excess o? oil which may have worked into the bearings around the shaft.

A further object of my invention is to provide devices ofthis charlacter which are of simple construction and efficient in operation.

Further objects of this invention relate to economies of manufacture and details of construction as will definitely appear from the detailed description to follow.

I accomplish the object of my invention in one instance by the devices and means described in the following specifications but it is evident that the same may be varied widely without departing from the scope of the invention as pointed out in the `ap' pended claims. A structure constituting one embodiment. of m invention which may be the preferre is illustrated in Ithe accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specication, in which:

Fig. I is a horizontal sectional view of the transmission casing, showing m improved grease'retaining devices a plled to tlleipain driving shaft and the sli ing gear Fig. II is an enlarged detail sectional.

view; of my improved grease retaining devices asplied to the slidin gear shaft. N Fig. y

is an enlarged etail sectional4 view of that part of my improved grease reaining devices as applied to the main driving4` shaft.

ig. IV is a rear elevation of one of the grease retaining rings shown in Fig.. II.

Fig. V is a side elevation ofthe same.

Fig. VI is a front elevation of the ring shown in Fig. II.

In the drawings, similar reference numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views.

My invention comprises generally devices of the character set forth designed tobe applied to a rotating shaft passing through a casing, at or near the bearing portions thereof for the purpose of preventin an .undue loss of oil fromthe casing. I ave illustrated these devices as applled to the main driving shaft, andthe sliding gear shaft of anyautomobila at the points where they enter the usual transmission casing.

Referring to the numbered parts of the drawing, I have shown the usual tran-smission casing 10 in which is rotatably mounted the usual main driving shaft 11, the gear shaft 12, and the countershaft 13. Splined or otherwise mounted upon the gear shaft 12 for movement longitudinally thereof are the slidin gears 14 and 15, which are adapted to e moved longitudinally thereof by means of the shifter forks 16 and 17 respectively. rIhe gear shaft'1'2 is mounted in the usual bearing 19 positioned within the pinion adjusting sleeve 18, and carries the eveled driving inion 20 which meshes with the beveled riving ring 21. The beveled driving ring 21 is protected by the rear axle cover plate 22 and operates the differential mechanlsm enclosed 1n the differential casing 23 in the usual manner, to rotate the rear axle shafts 24 enclosed `in the rear axle housing 25.

The main driving shaft 11 is provided with two bearings 26 and 27 of the usual construction at the point where it enters the transmission casing 10. Carried by the main driving shaft 11, and secured thereto by a spline 28 or other suitable attaching means, and positioned thereon at a point between the -beari s 26 andv 27, is a circumferentially threaded cylindrical member los ing in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the shaft, or in other words, forming a left handed groove or thread when observed from the V interior of the casing. The groove formed in the circumferenti'ally threaded cylindrical member 29 is designated by the numeral 30, while the corresponding thread or ri'b formed on the cylindrical surface thereof is designated by 31. The circumferentially threaded member 29 is enclosed by and fits within that portion of the transmission casing 45 which carries the bearings 26 and 27, and which has an inner face annular in cross-section to serve as a lIbearing for the cylindrical member 29. From this construction it. results that when the main driving shaft 11 `is rotated in a lclock-wise direction, looking rearwardly of the main driving shaft towardthetransmission casing, the circum-Y ferentially grooved member being firmly attached tothe main driving shaft, will rotate therewith, 'and will tend to feed any excess of oil which may have escaped through the bearing 27 back into the casing.

The gear shaft 12 is provided withA a shoulder 32 at la point near the bearing 19. An internally beveled ring 33 pro-vided with an outwardly turned annular iange 341 is positioned against that side of the bearing 19 vtoward the interior of the transmission casing, in such a manner that the out-turned lanige 34 bears against the outer ring of the bearing 19, and the outer ring of the bearing 19 and the internally beveled ring 33 are firmly. held in posi-tion against the vin'turned annular shoulder 35 of the pinion adjusting sleeve 18, by the externally threaded clam ing sleeve 36, engaging an internal threa sleeve 18. An exteriorly beveled ring 37, provided with spiral grooves, ,on Aits exteriorly beveled face, and having an inturned annular vrim 38 is firmly fixed to the gear shaft 12 for rotation therewith in any suitable manner. The inturned annular rim 38 of the exteriorly beveled ring 37, as shown, overl'ies the shoulder 32 of the gear shaft 12, and is clamped between the shoulder 32 and the inner ring of the bearing 19. The beveled face of the ex'- teriorly beveled ring 37 is adapted to correspond with and to bear against the beveled portion of the intern-ally beveled ring 33. The spiral grooves 39 formed upon the beveled face of the externally beveled ring 37 extend in a direction corresponding to a right handed screw as clearly shown in FiguresA IV and V. From this construction it results that when the shaft 12jrotates in a clock-wise direction, looking at the shaft from front to rear, the bevel ring 37 when looking at the rear face thereof, as shown in Fig. lV will rotate in a counter-clockwise direction, and an exon the pinion adjusting4 cess ofo'il that may have worked between the bevel faces of the two rings, will be carried back by`the groove 39 into the trans- .mission casing. The formation of grooves 39 in the bevel face of the rin 37 results in the formation of correspon ing ribs or ridges 40, which bear against thetbevel face lof the rin'g 33, and cooperates'with grooves 39fto`carry any excess of oil which have worked between these bevel faces into the transmission oase.

It will .be apparent, from the above description, that when the-main driving'shaft .is rotated in a clock-wise direction looking toward the rear thereof, that the circumf.

to force any excess of oil, which may have worked through the inner bearing, back into` the transmission casing. The exteriorally beveled ring 37 attached to the gear shaft 12 actsv in a similar manner when rotating, its beveled surf-ace bearing` against the corresponding beveled surface of the ring 33, to return any excess of oil which may have worked between these surfaces to the transmission casing.

Thus it will be seen that these members provided with grooves upon their exterior faces leach bears against a fixed mating face, whereby any excess of oil which has worked between these mating faces is carried back towards the interior of the casing by the helical grooves, the parts o erating after the manner of an Archime ean screw.

While I have shown and described in considerable detail a specific embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that this showing and description is illustrative only and for the purpose of renderingmy invention more clear, and that I' do not regard the invention as limited to the details of construction illustrated or described nor to any of them, except in so far asf have included such limitations within the terms of the following claims, in which it is my intention to claim all novelty inherent in my invention broadly as lwell as speci'- nennen members being provided! with an outwardly extending adapted to eneage the easing.

2. in o deviee of une eharaoter described, the oombination of a easing, a bearing oonneeted i erevvith, a Shaft jonrnaiied therein, a ring seemed to said easing at the inner side off the nearing and having e conical inner tace end a ring carried Toy said shaft having a oonieai enter -tace rotatable in engagement with the inner face of eai. outer ring, one of said ringe navino a spirali groove forni-ed on its aoe in a ire-@tion to carry iubrieant toward that enoi o the ring having the larger diameter.,

3. in combination, a easing, a shaft, an anti-rietion bearing between said shaft and easing oomprising inner and outer race members, en outer ring having a portion damped against said outer' raoe member, and an inner ring oiainped against said inner raee member, said rings having cooperating beveled faces, one of which has a spiral groove formed thereon to convey inbrioant axieily and toward the part' of iarger diameter,

in e device et the class `deseribed, in combination, a shaft, a easing for said shaft edapted. to eontein lubricant, a nearingA for w the shaft connected with` the easing, a mem- Toer interposed toetvveen'tiie beering and eeeing, and a notatebie member driven by 'the shaft, eaid members having eooperating faces, one o` which is provided with e groove adapted to return to the oaeing in- -nificant tending to esoepe to the bearing,

5 in a device oit' the clase deeeriioeot, in combination, a shaft, a easing for eeid. shaft adapted to vcontain iutorieent, n oeaning 'or the shaft connected. with the easing, and ter-engaging rings mounted between the bearing and earning, one of which is edapted to ne rotated by the shaft, seid ringe eooperating to :torce back into the easing iubricent tending to escape to the bearing.

6. In a device et the dass described, in

combination, a shaft ond operating means therefor, a casing surrounding Said Shaft and operating means and adapted to contain a supply oiubrioant, a bearing for the shaft connected with the easing, and cofy operating devices between the bearing end easing, one of which is aotuated by the shaft, seid devioes being edapte to return to the easing lubricant `tending to escape to the bearing.

in testimony whereof, i ax my signature.

oeonn n. nonnnnn, 

